“A collection of profound and epic album reviews and musical articles by former astronaut and brain surgeon, Alasdair Kennedy. Reaching levels of poetry that rival Keats and Blake, the following reviews affirm Alasdair to be a prodigy, a genius and a god whose opinion is always objectively right. He is also without a doubt the most modest man in the universe.” - Alasdair Kennedy

Friday, 23 March 2018

Review of 'Veteran' by JPEGMAFIA

The
beats on this album are truly off-the-wall. Moody opener ‘1539 N. Calvert’ and
following noisy banger ‘Real Nega’ show signs of experimentalism from the off,
but these tracks are tame compared to the wild and mutated beats that follow. Some
were a challenge even to my hardened eardrums, including the abstract glitched-out
percussion of ‘Rock n Roll Is Dead’ and the slowed-down moaning on ‘Rainbow
Six’ which sounds like Tina from Bob’s Burgers on backing vocals. In fact, I
haven’t heard beats this excitingly challenging since I first discovered Death Grips and Clipping.

That
isn’t to say JPEGMAFIA sounds anything like Death Grips or Clipping. His beats
for one are more rugged and loose. Not only that, but his lyrics have an
incredible sense of humour. Whilst MC Ride’s lyrics can border on comically
outrageous, the focus is more on creating a sensation of madness and paranoia.
Meanwhile Daveed Diggs of Clipping specialises in gritty suspenseful storytelling.

Both
artists take themselves seriously, whilst JPEGMAFIA doesn’t. Veteran is a South-Park-style attack on
everyone including himself. ‘I need all
my bitches the same colour as Drake’ is the opening line of this album which
is an insult to himself, women, dark-skinned people and Drake. There’s a track
with the fantastic title ‘I Cannot Fucking Wait Until Morrissey Dies’, which
turns out to be a attack on right-wingers, but JPEGMAFIA equally takes a chance
to bash liberals with ‘Libtard Anthem’. Its anarchistic and punkish – except not
punkish in the traditional sense given that even Johnny Rotten gets dissed.

There’s
a lack of focus to the album that’s frustrating at points. Certain songs feel
undeveloped, although you have to wonder how the album would feel were these
songs fleshed out. Would it lose it’s exciting rawness? At other points it’s
simply too abstract for my tastes. Nonetheless it’s a captivating listen that’s
taking hip hop in a new direction.